My Experience as a Homeschooler

My name is Asia Gile, I am twenty-five, and I was homeschooled throughout most of my elementary, middle, and high school education. People always ask me if I enjoyed being homeschooled, or if homeschooling hindered my social abilities.

It is always difficult to answer these questions in a way that is easy to understand, usually because in order to understand the home school mentality you need to experience home schooling for yourself. For me, the most advantageous experience of being homeschooled was the ability to move along in the material at my own pace. I was not restricted by a classroom of other pupils who were either smarter or slower than I was. I was free to spend as much time as I needed to properly learn the material.

Homeschooling allowed me to do intense study in the areas that interested me. It fed my curiosity, rather than oppressing it with the stringent lesson plans of conventional schooling.

Did my social life suffer? Yes and no. I was not able to participate in daily interaction with my peers, and this later led to insecurities when I was around people my age, but I am glad to say that it was easily overcome in college.

While I was homeschooled, I had the pleasure of playing the viola, which later led me to the cello, my much loved instrument.  I also sang in the Richmond Youth Chamber Ensemble, comprised entirely of homeschoolers. I participated in putting together the yearbook for all of the local homeschoolers, martial arts, and believe it or not I had a prom.

Homeschooling gave me tools I never would have  gained in conventional schooling. I learned initiative, which you must have if you are going to teach yourself discipline, and study skills. But the key to a good home schooling experience is first, the pupil's desire to learn and second, the parent's willingness to get their child involved in the world around them.  

     Asia